Don’t Hire a SEM Expert! Sue Google Instead!

From this Reuters report:

A parental advice Internet site has sued Google Inc., charging it unfairly deprived the company of customers by downgrading its search-result ranking without reason or warning…….

….. KinderStart charges that Google without warning in March 2005 penalized the site in its search rankings, sparking a “cataclysmic” 70 percent fall in its audience — and a resulting 80 percent decline in revenue.

“Kinderstart - Because kids don’t come with instructions.” This site should be called: “Lawyers - Because we never learned to play well with others.”

This company (kinderstart.com — no link because they don’t deserve it — you’ll have to cut and paste) so clearly doesn’t understand the web. This lack of understanding always surprises me. I am not surprised that there’s a lawyer wanting to get some fame by fighting the case but I am surprised that the company behind Kinderstart is prepared to go head to head with Google.

Kinderstart, from first glance, appears to want to be a child / parent-related search engine itself. (Though it’s hardly sophisticated, or world-class, or innovative, or even well done. I am a parent, and I’d never use this site. Why would I?) Given that they’d like to be an engine of some sort, themselves, I’d bet there’s another motive behind this law suit other than the site’s decline in revenue. I am not even sure I understand this site’s revenue model….. the irony is that it seems that this sites may get its primary source of revenue from Google Adwords.

I don’t imagine that Google is shaking in their boots.